Howard TerpningThe Teachings of My Grandmother

Among the Blackfoot and Plains tribes, teaching children at an early age was important for the future welfare of the tribe. Girls were taught to prepare food, make clothing and raise a family, while boys were taught to hunt and protect their villages as warriors.

In this scene, a six-year-old Blackfoot girl is intently watching her grandmother starting some beadwork. Grandparents were honored by the young children, and this little girl pays close attention to the way the awl, the sinew and the needle are used to create a beautiful design on the buckskin. The grandmother teaches the girl as her own grandmother once taught her, and tradition is tenderly passed down from one generation to another. ."